Many soldiers return home having faced horrific and unimaginable circumstances overseas. They may be tough, but they are human, and too many face overwhelming health challenges that impede any chances to thrive. Some have lost a limb and their mobility is severely reduced. Others suffer post-traumatic stress disorder or have brain injuries that make returning to normal civilian life a major uphill battle. Most Americans have never experienced what veterans have gone through and are thankful for their bravery and sacrifice. Here are 15 ways to support veterans that are more than a simple “Thank you”.
Disabled American Veterans
“For nearly
a century, DAV has fought for veterans. Last year alone we impacted the lives
of over 1 million veterans in life-changing ways. We couldn’t assist any veterans without the
generosity of caring individuals who share our mission of supporting those who
have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. Here are some of the ways you can help our
nation’s ill and injured heroes.”
Wounded
Warrior Project
“More than
52,000 servicemen and women have been physically injured in recent military
conflicts. 500,000 are living with invisible wounds, from depression to
post-traumatic stress disorder. 320,000 are experiencing debilitating brain
trauma.
“Advancements
in technology and medicine save lives – but the quality of those lives might be
profoundly altered. The numbers speak for themselves, because not every warrior
can. With the support of our community of donors and team members, we give a
voice to those needs and empower our warriors to begin the journey to recovery.”
Homes for
Our Troops
“Homes For
Our Troops (HFOT) is a privately funded non-profit organization that builds and
donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post –
9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans
have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full
paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some
of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our
country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding
their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents out of every dollar
has gone directly to our program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes
where the Veteran chooses to live, and continues its relationship with the
Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives.”
United
Service Organizations
“The USO
provides programs, entertainment and services at more than 200 USO locations
worldwide, including Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Iraq, South Korea and the United States.
“In 2017,
USO centers were visited more than 7 million times by service members and their
families. USO centers provide a warm and comforting place where service members
can connect to loved ones via Internet or phone, play a video game, catch a
movie, have a snack or just put their feet up and relax. Currently, the four
USO centers in Afghanistan collectively average more than 25,000 visits a month
while our two centers in Kuwait collectively average more than 39,500 visits
monthly.”
Visit Wounded
Vets in a Nearby Veterans Affairs Facility
“This site
is a storehouse of facility and key staff information within 1,920 VA
facilities, maintained on a regular basis by editors and administrators
nationwide throughout the VA network. Designed for ease-of-use, this site
categorizes information for browsing by state and administration, as well as by
viewing through an interactive map of the United States.”
National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans
“The
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) – a non-profit organization
governed by a 23-member board of directors – is the resource and technical
assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers
and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive
housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal
aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans
each year.”
Feed Our
Vets
“Since 2008,
Feed Our Vets has provided free food assistance to more than 20,000 Veterans
and their family members, distributing 445,000 lbs. of food.
“Feed Our
Vets is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help Veterans in the
United States, their spouses and children whose circumstances have left them on
the battlefield of hunger, and to involve the public in fighting Veteran
hunger. We do this through:
- Community
food pantries that provide regular, free food distributions to veterans and
their families.
-
Distribution of related goods and services.
- Public
education and outreach.
“More than
130,000 Veterans are homeless and hungry on any given night in America. One in
three homeless people in America is a U.S. Military Veteran. And nearly four
million Veterans and their families don’t have enough to eat during the year.
We provide food for veterans throughout the US.”
Patriot PAWS
“The mission
of Patriot PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality at
no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in order to help restore their physical
and emotional independence. Patriot PAWS intends to build partnerships with
local, state and national organizations to help develop and support this goal.”
How to afford a service dog: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/how-to-afford-a-service-dog/
Honor Flight Network
Honor Flight Network
“Our
Mission: To transport America’s Veterans to Washington, DC to visit those
memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their
friends.
“Honor
Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s
veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C.
to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior
veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be
terminally ill.”
Operation
Gratitude
“Each year,
we send hundreds of thousands of Care Packages to those who serve. We need your
help filling, packing, and shipping them. Join us!”
Hire Heroes
“Hire Heroes
USA is one hundred percent committed to veteran and military spouse employment,
which is demonstrated through our relentless focus on professional and
personalized service. So, what sets us apart?
“Our
services are free and most are offered virtually, so we work with clients
regardless of location. Clients are individually-paired with a Transition
Specialist – many of whom are veterans and military spouses and all of whom
understand how challenging the job search can be.
“We offer
services beyond the 1-1 assistance from a Transition Specialist, including virtual
workshops, career fairs, webinars, a job board and more. Our services don’t go
away until the veteran or military spouse decides they no longer need them.
“Our job
board houses tens of thousands of jobs posted by companies who have been vetted
by our staff. We partner with companies that offer scholarships and training
opportunities to veterans and military spouses. Our network of more than 750
volunteers – most of whom work in corporate America, as entrepreneurs, or as
federal employees – coach, mentor and mock interview clients to help them
prepare for the job search.”
Building
Homes for Heroes
“Building
Homes for Heroes® is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization founded
in 2006.
“Building
Homes for Heroes® is strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the
brave men and women who were injured while serving the country during the time
of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The organization builds or modifies homes,
and gifts them, mortgage-free, to veterans and their families. It’s our honor
to support the men and women who have loyally and courageously served our
country.”
Fisher House
Foundation
“Fisher
House Foundation builds comfort homes where military & veteran families can
stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. These homes are
located at military and VA medical centers around the world.
“Fisher
Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a
common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living
room. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an
estimated $407 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.”
Deploy Care
DeployCare
was established to offer understanding and support to our service members and
their families before, during, and after deployments. We have worked to compile
necessary resources as well as research solutions to many of the challenges
associated with military deployments.
Our team is composed of
veterans and their spouses who have experienced many of the issues that arise
when there is not adequate support when needed. We are mothers, fathers,
husbands, and wives. We know that the effects of deployments do not end when your
loved one finally gets to come home.
Puppies Behind Bars
“Puppies
Behind Bars (PBB) trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for wounded war
veterans and first responders, as well as explosive-detection canines for law
enforcement. Puppies enter prison at the age of 8 weeks and live with their inmate
puppy-raisers for approximately 24 months. As the puppies mature into
well-loved, well-behaved dogs, their raisers learn what it means to contribute
to society rather than take from it.”
In Canada
Wounded Warriors Canada
“Today, we continue our legacy of care and compassion as the nation’s leading, wholly independent, Veteran’s charity focusing on mental health. Our innovative and wide-ranging programming, which will exceed 1.8M in 2017, is changing the lives of ill and injured Veterans, First Responders and their families. This is only made possible as a result of the compassionate trust and support of individual Canadians and Canadian businesses, enabling us to carry forward our guiding ethos: Honour the Fallen, Help the Living.”
Hire A Vet
“Advertise jobs for free on Job Bank and market them to Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces looking for work. This will encourage veterans to apply to your job.”
Photo: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrse/installations/nsa_mid_south/ffr/things_to_do/food_and_beverages.html
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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